Byzantium & the Rise of Islam

1. Byzantium & the Rise of Islam 330-1453 C.E.

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi0Rt0slfy4&feature=fvst

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2brn8FoZcHs

5. Byzantine culture got its name from the ancient city of Byzantium, which got its name to its mythical founder, Byzas. • A new city was built there in 330 C.E. by the Emperor Constantine, who renamed the city Constantinople.

6. Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, which is also referred to as Byzantine Empire.

7. Geography of Constantinople • The ancient city of Constantinople is the modern city of Istanbul. • This location was strategic to the empire flourishing.

8. The city is surrounded on three sides by water. The empire itself is located on both sides of the Bosporus.

9. It is at the entrance to the Sea of Marmara.

10. To the northeast lies the entrance to the Black Sea.

11. To the southwest lie the Dardanelles. These are straits, or narrow water passages, through which ships can enter the Aegean and then go to the Mediterranean Sea.

12. The Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus form a water passage that divides Europe from Asia.

13. The Byzantine Rulers • Byzantine rulers had absolute power. • Unlike Western Romans-they were not worshipped as gods. • Ruler was servant of God, but was chosen by God. • Not hereditary, although in many cases it was passed from father to son or daughter. • Future emperor was sometimes chosen by the reigning ruler with help from the army. The senate, the people, and the church.

14. The Byzantine Rulers • The empress often held and exercised a great deal of power. • As a symbol of this power, the portrait of the empress appeared on the coins of the realm. • Sometimes, empresses ruled alone

15. The Byzantine Rulers • The emperors were called basileu, or king of kings. (BAHZ ihl yoo) • The emperors ruled from Constantinople • The empire was divided into two military districts. Each district was ruled by a general who was directly responsible to the emperor. • Soldiers in the district armies fought for the emperor and received the land on which they lived as payment. • Because they were fighting for their own land or farms, they tended to be brave and loyal fighters.

16. Hippodrome • Built by Constantine • Similar to the Colosseum • Constantine held chariot races in it.

17. Emperor Justinian (527-565 A.D.)

18. Emperor Justinian (527-565 A.D.) • Tried to unite the Eastern & Western Roman Empires • Failed to unite the two Empires but he was able to encourage trade between them. • He re-conquered North Africa, parts of Spain, Italy, Greece and the Mediterranean Islands from the Barbarians. • Codification of Roman Law.

19. Corpus Juris Civilis(Body of Civil Law) Justinian’s Code • Lawyers organized & simplified Roman law. • Four parts: • The Code: All Roman laws since Emperor Hadrian. • The Digest: Laws of Roman Republic & summary of opinions of Roman Lawyers. • The Institutes: General textbook on law. • The Novellea: Laws created by Justinian. Written in Greek.

20. Heraclius • Reorganized the Byzantine imperial administration and the imperial armies and strengthened the Empire in the process. • He divided the land into four Themes (military districts), each ruled by a military governor. • By giving prospective soldiers land grants, he recruited a considerable number of native fighters. • No longer was Byzantium to rely on foreign mercenaries. • On the economic front finances were revived in the form of new taxes and fines as well as contributions from the Orthodox Church

21. Leo III • Known as Leo the Isaurian or Leo the Syrian • He defended Constantinople against the last Arab siege and he succeeded in ending serious Arab threats for nearly two centuries • He reorganized the military provinces (themes) of the empire for greater efficiency. • His civil code, the Ecloga, written in Greek rather than in Latin, was a practical handbook that had considerable influence in Byzantium. • He is also credited with issuing military, maritime, and rural codes

22. Basil I • Founded the Macedonian dynasty and formulated the Greek legal code that later became known as the Basilica

23. Basil II • Became one of the strongest Byzantine emperors, winning territory in the Balkans, Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Georgia. He was noted for his victory (1014) in the war with Bulgaria, which ended with his blinding all the soldiers in the defeatedBulgarian army.

24. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhPlWuvp888

25. Empress Theodora • Probably the most influential and powerful woman in the empire's history. • Her father was a bear-keeper at the Hippodrome • As a child she was an actress and later married Emperor Justinian • She persuaded Justinian to grant some rights to women. • She expanded the rights of women in divorce and property ownership, forbid exposure of unwanted infants, gave mothers some guardianship rights over their children, and forbid the killing of a wife who committed adultery. She closed brothels and created convents where the ex-prostitutes could support themselves. • She was a constant, skillful and cunning advisor to Justinian.

26. Military Power • The borders of the empire were constantly threatened. • The superior military strength of the Byzantines allowed them to remain in power until Constantinople finally fell to the Turks in 1453. • Warfare became almost an art to them • The music of military bands sent carefully trained and armed soldiers off to battle in high spirits • Mirrors were used to flash signals for attack or retreat. • A medical corps was created to bring the wounded back from battle for the finest medical aid then available. • The navy were renowned. At one point, they launched 1330 ships against Crete. • The navy used an ancient Greek device known as Greek Fire, a combination of naphtha and sulphur, which could burn a ship on water. • This device was an effective defence against those who tried to defeat them.

27. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity • The emperors were supported by the Byzantine church. • The church was part of the government. It was a political and religious force. • Constantine was the 1st Christian emperor of the Roman Empire and the emperors who followed him were also Christian. • Until the 5th century, the pope was the head of all Catholic Churches

28. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity • In the 5th century, there were numerous disagreements between the Eastern church and the Western church, which became known as the Roman Catholic Church. • The Eastern church split into the Orthodox church and the Greek Orthodox church.

29. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity West – Roman Catholic Church • The Roman Catholic Church was more powerful than Western monarchs. It was not only a spiritual institution but a strong political institution • The pope was the centre of the Roman Catholic Church – virtually all power presided in the Pope and a hierarchy of bishops existed below the Pope

30. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity East – Greek Orthodox Church • Religious leaders in the East, who were called Patriarchs, were unwilling to recognize the Pope, the emperor controlled religion and did not want to be subservient to the Pope • Byzantine church leaders were consulted for political decisions, very important political figures as well, this was seen as a successful and wealthy career. • Religion and the Byzantine Empire were strongly intertwined • The emperor was near divinity, therefore held a high degree of theological authority

31. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity • The first religious disagreement had to do with the nature of Jesus. • The pope believed that Jesus had 2 natures: human and divine • The Monophysites, who were influential in the churches of the East, believed that Jesus had one nature: divine

32. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity Council of Chalcedon • 451 A.D. – Pope Leo I decreed that Jesus, although one person, had two natures • This public pronouncement did not satisfy religious leaders in the Eastern Orthodox Church – they also didn’t like that the Pope had made the decision for them • Eastern religious leaders refused to recognize this decision • The issue was never resolved.

33. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity • The second religious disagreement had to do with the question of whether or not images, or pictures and statues, were to be allowed in the church. • The Western church believed that images were essential in helping people to imagine the divine. • Saw opposition to religious icons as a threat to traditional Christianity

34. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity • The Eastern church opposed the use of images. • Worship of images or icons was fundamentally a pagan belief • Products of human hands should not be worshipped, only God should be worshipped • This philosophy was most likely inspired in part by the Islamic faith

35. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity • 726 – Pope Leo III issued an edict forbidding the use of images or icons of the sacred personages of Christianity including Christ and all the Saints • Rioting broke out in Constantinople and were suppressed • Eastern religious leaders again refused to recognize this decision • 1054 A.D – the issue was the use of leavened bread vs. unleavened bread in the communion service and this issue caused the pope and the patriarch of Constantinople to excommunicate each other which led to an open schism that still exists in the catholic world today • Churches permanently separated in 1054

36. Religious & Political DifferencesSplit Christianity • This division between the two churches is known asschism.

37. Legacies of the Byzantine Empire • Economy and Trade • At first, animal skins and furs, salt, wine, slaves, spices, and precious gems were common articles of trade. • Later, silk became a major item of Byzantine wealth • For hundreds of years, only the Chinese knew the secret of making silk. • Around 550 C.E., the Byzantines learned the secret. • Legend has it that two monks brought silkworm eggs to Constantinople in the hollowed parts of their walking sticks. • The silk industry grew and was controlled by the emperor.

38. Legacies of the Byzantine Empire • Economy and Trade • Because Constantinople had a vital role in the economy of the empire, it was governed separately. • It had a police force to catch criminals and courts of law • Workers were organized into trade guilds. • Guilds were organized groups of people in the same trade or craft who set rules to uphold standards and protect their members. • Those merchants who tried to cheat buyers were punished b the guilds.

39. Legacies of the Byzantine Empire Education • Education was free and available to everyone in accordance with a church law that stated: “Knowledge is a gift of God, therefore it cannot be sold.” • The missionaries Cyril and his brother Methodius knew the Slavic language and invented an alphabet that is still used today by the Russians, Bulgarians, and Serbs. • The brothers are often referred to as the “Apostles to the Slavs.” • The Cyrillic alphabet played an important role in bringing Christianity to those countries.

40. Legacies of the Byzantine Empire Art and Architecture: • Hagia Sophia or St. Sophia – built in the 6th Century, the round dome was fitted into a square structure which was a Roman trait • The interior of this structure is adorned with marble veneers, mosaic inlays and wall coverings

41. Empire Fell to the Turks Many causes: • numerous wars made enemies strong and the Empire weak • religious leaders became more concerned with worldly power than spirituality, and lost public support 1204 C.E.: • Christians from Europe were marching to Palestine to get revenge on groups who had destroyed Christian holy places in Jerusalem. • They were amazed by the wealth of Constantinople and attempted to take over the city • They were unsuccessful but it greatly weakened the Empire • 1453 – Ottoman Turks finally captured the city

42. The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture • The Arabian Peninsula, where the world of Islam began, is a large peninsula. • Most of it is a vast desert that determined how its inhabitants lived.

43. The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture • The Bedouin people were nomads living in the desert of the Arabian Peninsula.

44. The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture • With little rain and few rivers the Bedouin has developed a special way of life. • Their way of life centered around areas that had permanent sources of underground water. • This fertile area is called an oasis.

45. The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture • The dromedary, or one-humped camel, is known as the ship of the desert. • It provides transportation over the vast expanses of sand. • It can live and work for long periods of time without water and thus made life for the Bedouins easier.

46. The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture • The Bedouins lived in loose tribal association with other clans, and informal rules governed their relationships with one another and other desert tribes. • Because catching and punishing thieves and murderers was the responsibility of individual victims rather than a defined legal system, bitter feuds often developed among tribes. • This kind of life bred a fierce independence, a resistance to authority, and an ability to withstand hardship.

47. The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture • Two cities played an important role in the development of Islam: Mecca and Medina

48. The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture • To the Bedouins, Mecca was a holy city. • Worship centered around the shrine called the Kaaba. • In it were statues of male and female gods and a special black stone believed to be from heaven. Probably it was a meteor.

49. The Geography of the Desert Affected Arab Culture • The inhabitants of Mecca and Medina were part merchant, and part nomad. • Many Bedouins left the desert for part the year and moved to the city and became traders. • As the population grew, those who remained in the desert had difficulty finding food to feed their families. • They were ready for a leader to improve their lives. This leader was the holy man called Mohammed.

50. Mohammed Began the Muslim Faith • Mohammed (570 to 632) was the prophet a new faith. • He was born in Mecca. • He was a merchant who crossed the desert with caravans carrying goods to distant parts of the Arabian Peninsula. • During these journeys, he learned a lot about Greek culture as well as about Christian ideas and the Hebrew religion.